Antispill device for liquid containers



Oct. 16, 1951 w. s. DALE ANTISPILL DEVICE FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed April 5, 1948 FIG.|

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INVZNTOR WALLACE 5. DALE B) ATTORNM Patented Oct. 16, 1951 ANTISPILL DEVICE FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Wallace S. Dale, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application April 3, 1948, Serial No. 18,736

This invention relates to device for preventing spilling from liquid containers.

t is the general object of my invention to provide a device adapted to be attached to a liquid container to prevent spilling of liquid therefrom even though the container is tipped.

It is another object to provide a simple and highly efficient top closing device'i'or liquid containers to normally close the same but adapted to be controllably opened to permit liquid to flow therefrom.

It 'is a further object to provide a top closure device for liquid containers for normally closing the same and having a valve mechanism adapted to be opened by lifting of the container by a shiftable gripping device connected to said valve.

More specifically it is an object of my invention to provide a top closure device for liquid containers having a controllable valve therein to prevent air from entering the same and a handle member for holding said container, mounted in sliding relation thereto and connected with said valve for opening the same when said container is lifted by said handle, said valve being normally closed to prevent spilling of liquid from said container when negligently tipped.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown at Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig, 2 and showing the valve mechanism in detail; and

Fig. l is a' horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 3.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings I provide a top closure device designated as an entirety by the numeral 6 for liquid containers such as a drinking cup 1 and the like adapted to be suitably attached in sealed relation thereto as by being thread-ably mounted thereon to form a normally closed drinking container. The closure 6 has a horizontally disposed partition 8 fixed therein and the partition 8 has outlet means such as the apertures 9 formed at the outer marginal portion thereof. An air vent I is formed in said partition 8 in spaced relation to said outlet aperture 9 as by being disposed in 90 angular displacement therefrom as illustrated in Fig. 2. The

2 Claims. (Cl. '65 13) air vent l0 has a valve seat I I formed. at theouter portion thereof.

A mounting bracket 12 is fixed in the form illustrated to the closure 6 which formsan integral unit with the cup! when secured thereto as best shown in Fig. Bracket l2 has a guide or trackway l3 formed in the outer marginal portion thereof and slide I4 is mounted for vertical sliding movement in said trackway and has a gripping handle l5 fixed thereto. A connector arm l6 extends inwardly from the top of slide M to which it is fixed as by a screw [1 and has a valve l8 fixed at the inner end thereof in alignment with air vent aperture l0. A cooperating sealing element on the valve I8 is adapted to be normally seated against the valve seat ll of the vent ill to normally close said vent. A downwardly extending projection I9 is fixed to the bottom of said valve [8 and depends from the central portion thereof to guide said valve into proper position within said vent It. A resilient spring 20 is fixed at one end of said arm [6 and at the other end to an outstanding element 2| fixed to said closure 6 and normally urges said valve l8 into its seat I I. Fig. 3 shows the valve [:8 in open po sition.

The tension in spring 26 is such that the slide I4 will be shifted upwardly against said tension whenever the container 1 has liquid therein and is lifted by handle l5. When the slide I4 is shifted upwardly the valve I8 is opened and air is thus permitted to enter the liquid containing chamber within the cup I to permit liquid to fiow out through openings 9 when the cup is tipped. The openings 9 are of such size as to permit an infant to drink at a safe and moderate rate of speed without danger of choking him and, of course, as soon as the handle I5 is released the valve l-B immediately closes, the air pressure preventing liquid from flowing out through outlet apertures 9.

It will be seen that I have provided a novel and highly efiicient closure device for liquid containers adapted to normally close said container and adapted to controllably open said container to permit liquid to flow therefrom. The control means is responsive for opening the valve to the weight of the container when the same is lifted by said handle [5. The spring 20 permits the slide [4 to be easily shifted on trackway l3 while at the same time normally urging said valve I8 into closed position. The closure device 6 is attached in sealed relation to the container and forms an integral unit therewith which provides an excellent drinking cup for infants and small children who are apt to accidentally tip the cup over or drop it on the floor.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An anti-spill liquid container comprising an open topped liquid confining cup, a top closure removably secured in sealed relation to the upper portion of said cup to normally close the top thereof, said closure having an outlet opening formed therein and a relatively small air vent formed therein 'in spaced relation to said outlet opening, a mounting bracket secured to one side of the closure, a slide mounted for substantially vertical shifting movement in said bracket, a valve fixed to the top of said slide and disposed in overlying alignment with said vent, a resilient element interconnecting said bracket and said slide for normally urging said slide into retracted position and said valve into seated position in said vent, and a gripping handle fixed to said slide to shift the same upwardly when said container is lifted by said handle.

2. An anti-spill device for liquid containers comprising a top closure constructed to be removably secured in sealed relation to the top portion of an opened top container, said closure having an outlet opening formed therein and a relatively small air vent formed therein in spaced relation to said outlet opening, a mounting bracket secured to one side of the closure, a slide mounted for substantial vertical shifting movement in said bracket, a valve fixed to the top of said slide and disposed in overlying alignment with said vent, a resilient element interconnecting said bracket and said slide for normally urging said slide into retracted position and said valve into seated position on said vent, and a gripping handle fixed to said slide to shift the same upwardly when a container is connected to said closure and is lifted by said handle.

WALLACE S. DALE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 261,113 Wendt July 11, 1882 294,564 Beegen Mar. 4, 1884 1,129,618 Zaar Feb. 23, 1915 1,541,172 Nuckols June 9, 1925 1,824,290 Miller Sept. 22, 1931 2,094,869 Ballard Oct. 5, 1937 2,274,843 Moss Mar. 3, 1942 2,274,849 Peterson Mar. 3, 1942 2,447,870 Polcyn Aug. 24, 1948 

